Bishop, Knight & King versus King.

I know its supposed to be possible, but has anyone ever managed to achieve checkmate with just a Bishop , Knight and King against a lone King, bearing in mind the 50 move rule.

I,ve tried a few times, but gave up after 20-30 moves.

I do it for practice occasionally, though I have yet to encounter it in a real game.

I,ve only seen it in a puzzle. Thats what made me think.

If its so easy perhaps you could elaborate?

after I finish Silman's endgame course, I'll get around to this

http://chesstactics.wordpress.com/2006/08/06/achieving-harmony-concepts-and-techniques-in-the-bishop-and-knight-mate/

Thank You  arichess i,ve had a quick look, does,nt look easy to me.

It is easy when you know the trick

As are many things.  It's true, though. Once you know what to do, it's easy, but figuring it out for the first time is really hard, I think. I had to have my program demonstrate it for me multiple times before I finally understood and could replicate it.

This is a really good guide as well:

http://streathambrixtonchess.blogspot.com/2011/03/this-is-end-iii.html

In all my years of chess, I have only seen this come up once for real. It was at an action chess tournament that I TD'd. An Expert deliberately traded down in an otherwise losing position to allow his Master opponent the opportunity to try and mate him with K+N+B vs K. However, there were only about 3 minutes left on the clock for the Master. He certainly knew how to do this, but as we know, it can take 30+ moves to accomplish from the K-only's best starting position. The Master had worked him to the edge of the board and was trying to push him to the corner when he made one slight error in move order and let the king escape back away from the corner. With the last flag falling, he yelled and cursed and swung at the pieces in disgust. A draw it would be, and was. Nearly the most excitement I've ever seen at a chess tournament.

Most of us can easily go our whole life long and never encounter this ourselves. Indeed, Silman suggests (I believe) that you waste no time working on it because of its rarity. But when it happens, it's like the ultimate test of manhood (or womanhood). And when the chips are down, will you be able to pull it off - even if you know how to do it? 

"Mating from the wrong corner is fine, but how do you get that lonesome king into the wrong corner in the first place? I’m not sure there’s much of an answer to that except just to practice. "

You have to know how to get him off the center and that's why my link seems to be the better approach.

The reason why I'm interested in this endgame is not because I expect to actually see it in game but so that I am trained to imagine the squares that all the pieces control.

All the more reason to work on it, no?

I actually had the mate (once in about 2000+ OTB games) and was very, very lucky. When all the trading was completed his King was trapped on the h file and I was able to win. I would never be able to do it on an open board.

Way back in the early 90's when my daughter was 11 or 12, her chess teacher showed her how to mate with a knight and bishop if the king was trapped against  the 1st or 8th rank. Something to do with a phone number and the corresponding moves. Anyway, when we were wasting time between rounds in a later tournament, I told IM Anthony Saidy that my daughter could mate him with the material, which she promptly did to our great amusment since we both didn't think she could do it.  

Thank You everyone.

Chess is all about remembering patterns. Once you understand the pattern and practise it for a few times, you would surely be able to do the B+N mate!

This is probably the most talked-about ending ever. Here are some guides on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKwrez7i7fo

Part 1:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NnzgQ3srbs&feature=related

Part 2:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjW5Naq7iVw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQyqN1NFad0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWZ7h2yrJME

First you need to get your king into the centre of the board to force the opponents king to a corner. Then use the "W" manoeuver to force the king into the corner which has the same colour square as your bishop.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop_and_knight_checkmate

There is also Deletang's triangle but I have lot of trouble getting king into first net, after that it's not to bad.

Thank You to everybody, i did come across this  recently in a game and it ended in a draw.

I've never done it before, but I suppose if you use your two pieces to check the opponent repeatedly(using your own king to block off all escape routes) and eventually push him into a corner, it can be done. However, bear in mind, if you let something get too close to the enemy king, you're doomed, unless it's protected.